


A Pleasant Day for a Funeral

by SciurusPilot



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-02
Updated: 2015-12-02
Packaged: 2018-05-04 11:00:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5331728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SciurusPilot/pseuds/SciurusPilot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Barry doesn't survive his next encounter with Zoom. Len's not sure what he is doing here with flowers in hand. How could he possibly say goodbye?</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Pleasant Day for a Funeral

Any number of people would call this a pleasant day. After a streak of unnaturally hot and humid days for almost the past month (he blamed Mardon) rain had finally fallen and now the clouds were breaking to reveal cool winds appropriate for autumn weather. Sun rays crisscross through tree branches over freshly mowed grass and turned dirt.

Len adjusts his grip on the colorful bouquet of cut flowers he had bought that morning on a whim. With a small sad smile, he thinks that Barry would be proud of him. Not as the superhero known as the Flash, but as the young man who saw goodness in everyone he met. The florist had offered them as a gift after Len chased away a teenage punk trying to make off with the cash register. He really hadn’t done much other than glare and pull his coat far enough open to show off the cold gun. The older woman had no idea that the man she was thanking for saving her life was the notorious villain Captain Cold. Uncomfortable with the woman’s gratitude he accepted the bouquet and handed her fifty dollars before rushing away from the outdoor stall and her protests. It was likely more than the flowers were worth but today he doesn’t care. 

His back to a tree, he takes a deep breath before turning to poke his head around the trunk once more. Detective West and his daughter are still present as expected, as is Cisco and Doctor Snow. A blonde woman he doesn’t recognize in a CC police uniform stands beside the detective, in hand she holds a wringed out handkerchief.

Returning to his previous position he leans against the bark to wait.

Even with his identity secret the scarlet speedster had quite a few people show up to the proceedings. Of course, if his friends ever decided to announce the death of the Flash the whole city would be present for the memorial. It doesn’t matter whether they witnessed the red-clad hero run into a hole in the sky or if he had sped them out of a burning building, everyone knew that the Flash made Central City a better place. Len knew it.

He wonders how long it’ll take for the people to notice that their hero isn’t going to save them anymore. How long will it take for them to forget the year they had a superhero’s protection? How long before they give their allegiance to someone new?

He has been here for three hours already. Lisa would be wondering where he was. But he couldn’t leave until he had his chance to say goodbye.

Feeling a single wet droplet slide down his check he curses and quickly wipes it away.

The other speedster, the dark one, had been around for weeks. He had defeated Barry once before and dragged him around the city as a trophy. Why not then? Why now? 

The only warning he had was a simple curious glance over the obituaries in the Central City Picture News yesterday. He didn’t believe it at first. It had to be a joke. A car crash? From his research he knew that Barry didn’t drive. Hell, after failing his driver’s test at seventeen the kid never tried again. And with his powers he could very easily escape a rolling metal death trap.

Glancing around again he finds the Wests’ and the blonde woman walking away together off into the distance. Cisco was now crouching over face covered with Snow comforting him. Poor kid. The scientist engineer was probably blaming himself. Len had seen the footage. He had snuck into S.T.A.R. Labs (far too easily) to watch the security footage just to see if it was true. It had been brutal. He had killed before, but never like that. It wasn’t a fair fight. What had must have begun as a normal day for Team Flash plus friends had turned deadly for more than one person. Only Barry’s body was carried out of the lab. The other two were covered with white sheets and sent through what looked like a portal in the basement. Len decided to not question it and left to find the closest bar.

This time he watches on as Snow helps Ramon up and walk arm in arm to her car. He wonders if they will stay on at S.T.A.R. Labs and continue to help the city or move on.

When fifteen minutes passed Len leaves his hiding spot to stand before the simple grave stone. There is nothing special about it other than the name gracing its surface.

Bartholomew "Barry" Henry Allen  
Son, Brother, Friend, Hero  
Born March 19th 1989  
Died November 28th 2015

There’s no quote. He expects that the kid was young enough that he never wrote out a will despite throwing his life into danger almost every other day. Only twenty-six years old. He really was just a kid. A stupid kid.

Len pulls a flask out of coat pocket and takes a sip from it. He frowns when the warm liquid hits the back of his throat. He checks his surroundings. Satisfied that no would over hear him he speaks.

“Hello, Barry.”

He feels a bit foolish. He never attended a funeral before, not even his grandfather’s. He either never cared enough or it hurt too much. He wasn’t sure what Barry was to him. They weren’t friends but he didn’t hate the other man. He doesn’t think Barry hated him either, even if he did kidnap the other man’s friends two different times and almost got him killed in that debacle with Lewis. The back and forth they had going was good. Len was enjoying his life and the game more than he had in years. Not since his first successful heist had he been that excited. Knowing that the Flash was going to be there made everything that much more fun.

He was finding it very hard to imagine his life without Barry. At one point he had even considered… Not that it mattered anymore. Those would continue to be thoughts he’ll keep to himself.

“I did something good today. Maybe you were right. Maybe I do have some good in me.”

He sets the flowers against the stone next to ones left by his family and friends. He wishes the situation was different. That he could be handing over the bouquet directly into Barry’s warm arms. Wouldn’t that be funny? That they just happen to pass by each other in the street and Len would brag about helping that old woman but then giving Barry the bouquet, because really, he was the one that deserved to be given flowers.

“But don’t count on it sticking. I have a reputation to uphold you know.”

With more meta-humans poking their heads out of their shells everyday he was sure at least one would be willing to take the Flash’s place in no time at all. And if no one did… Then Captain Cold would have to make a reappearance to ensure that someone would step up to the plate. 

Because if there was one thing Len loved at the end of day (besides his little sister of course) it was his home town. He’s not the hero Central City deserves. That was Barry. But in memory of the greatest man he had even known, he will protect and defended their home if need be.

He feels goosebumps run up and down his arms as the wind chill continues to drop lower. It was time. Shakely he speaks.

“Goodbye, Barry.”

He walks away.

 

Sure enough weeks later Captain Cold and his Rogues attack only to be stopped by a meta-human teenager. The kid (an honest to god kid, really, what is wrong with the youth of today) needs some work. He isn’t as fast as Barry, but Len knew that with time Wally would live up to his namesake.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know where this came from. I was feeling sick this morning and watching movies when suddenly this popped into my head. Usually I don't make it to the actual writing stage for these random ideas. But this time I did and managed to complete it within a few hours.
> 
> Let me know if there's any weird grammar or misplaced spelling.
> 
> 01/01/2015


End file.
